1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to cinches that pass beneath the belly of an animal such as a horse, mule, llama, etc. to secure a riding saddle or pack frame on the animal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Riding saddles for people and pack frames to carry loads have long been secured to animals using cinches that extend from and are releasably connected to the saddle or frame beneath the belly of the animal. Such cinches are, as the name implies, pulled tight after fastening in order to maintain the saddle or frame in place on the animal. Of course, the cinch must be tightened sufficiently that, when a person sits on the saddle or a load is tied to the frame, the saddle or frame will not slip, revolve around the animal's body, and discharge the rider or load as a result of movement by the animal.
Examples of patents which exist in this field are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,828,521; 4,434,604; 4,426,924; 5,566,533; 5,743,072; 5,768,864; 5,946,892; 6,220,003; and 6,389,784.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,892 made a cinch more comfortable for an animal by placing fabric-covered foam layers surrounding a somewhat traditional strap with buckles at each end. The fabric-covered foam layer 12 that is intended to be next to the animal has, according to lines 20 through 29 in column 2, “. . . a grid pattern, with blocks 34 formed between grooves 36 on the outer face (animal engaging face) of the layer 12. The blocks 34 may, for example, have a generally rectangular shape 34a, they may be shaped as strips 34b or they may be in other patterns that will provide grooves that will carry sweat away from the belly of the animal on which the cinch is used. The grooves 36 extend transversely across the outer face of layer 12 or are connected to other grooves 36 that extend fully across to an outer edge of the face of layer 12.” Nothing, though, indicates that the grooves 36 extend to or into the buckle recesses 30 and 32.
Lines 47 through 50 in column 2 of U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,892 further explain that “[t]he cinch 10 is assembled with layer 16 positioned between layers 12 and 14, and the layers are sewn together such that buckle recesses 30 and 32 extend beyond ends 26 and 28 of layer 14 to receive buckles 66 and 68.” Lines 30 through 31 in column 2 provide, “Layer 14 comprises an elongate core 37 of the foam material . . . .” And lines 35 through 39 state, “Layer 16 comprises straps 52, 54, 56 and 58, with straps 52 and 54 having spaced apart straps 56 and 58 sandwiched between straps 52 and 54. The edges of the assembled cinch 10, having no grooves 36 in layer 14 tend to be rather inflexible. Combined with the stitching of the layers 12, 14, and 16, this inflexibility can tend to irritate the animal.
No longitudinal grooves of U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,892 are disclosed to reach the portion of layer 16 which is intended to cover the buckles 66 and 68, i.e., buckle recesses 30 and 32.
With respect to U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,892, U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,784 changed the terminology; utilized fewer layers; and removably, rather than permanently, attached the buckle strap (formerly termed the third elongate layer) to the animal engagement strap (formerly termed the first elongate layer) by having the buckle strap either releasably wrapped with securement flaps that are sewn to the animal engagement strap or slide between the animal engagement strap and a single sheet of material the sides of which are sewn to the animal engagement strap. Furthermore, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,389,784 does not have a grid pattern constructed in the side of the animal engagement strap but merely possesses lands and grooves that are only transversely oriented on such side.